Defensive tackle Chris Jones remains absent from Kansas City Chiefs training camp with the defending Super Bowl champions' season opener approaching two weeks away.
Based on comments from the All-Pro and head coach Andy Reid on Wednesday, Jones' holdout doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.
Jones told a fan on social media he's contemplating sitting out until midseason over a dispute regarding his contract, while Reid told reporters Wednesday the team has had no recent conversations with the standout pass rusher as it continues preparation for the Sept. 7 opener against the Detroit Lions.
After posting a photo of a sign that read, "If it's out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind also," Jones hinted he may not rejoin the Chiefs until Week 8 in response to a question asking when he plans to end his holdout.
Jones would need to report by Week 8 to accrue a full season and become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection is due a $19.5 million base salary in 2023 in the final season of a four-year, $80 million extension he signed in 2020. Jones' deal was the second largest for an interior defensive lineman at the time of the signing, but now ranks eighth in average annual value after four defensive tackles - Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets, Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons, Washington's Daron Payne and the New York Giants' Dexter Lawrence - all signed extensions this offseason.
Jones has been accruing daily fines of $50,000 for missing camp, and implied he's willing to forfeit game checks as well if an agreement can't be reached.
"I can afford it," he answered when a social media user commented on the large amount of money Jones would give up by missing games.
Reid said following Wednesday's practise he has not been involved in any negotiations between Jones and the team and remains unsure of how long the stalemate will go on.
“There's been no communication so I don't know what's going to happen there,” Reid said. “The game goes on. That's how it works.”
Jones finished third in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season while playing a major role in the Chiefs' second Super Bowl title in four years. The 29-year-old tied a career high with 15.5 sacks in 17 regular-season games and registered two more sacks in Kansas City's win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game.
The seven-year veteran has been named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive seasons, while his 56.5 sacks since 2018 are the fourth most in the NFL over that five-year stretch.
Super Bowl champion Chiefs to host Ravens in 2024 NFL season opener
The 2024 NFL season will get underway when the Kansas City Chiefs open their bid for a third straight Super Bowl title on September 5 against the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
The meeting will be a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game, which the Chiefs won 17-10 at Baltimore.
Kansas City went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in the Super Bowl to capture its second straight championship and third title in five seasons.
The remainder of the NFL schedule is expected to be released on Wednesday.
Rees-Zammit relishing Mahomes advice as former rugby star eyes spot on Chiefs roster
Louis Rees-Zammit has likened Patrick Mahomes to an extra coach as he looks to make an impact in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit shocked rugby union fans in January when he announced he was turning his back on the sport to enter the NFL's International Player Pathway programme.
He was signed by two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City in March and is now looking to earn a place on their roster for 2024, learning the role of running back at the Chiefs' rookie minicamp after attending another training camp alongside Mahomes.
Rees-Zammit has made sure to pick the brains of Mahomes, who has led the Chiefs to six straight AFC Championship games and won three Super Bowl rings since being drafted in 2017.
"It was amazing, all the quarterbacks and receivers were there, we were running routes, we were working in the gym", Rees-Zammit said of his experience at that camp in Texas.
"It was a great two weeks, I definitely learned a lot with Pat and the other boys."
Asked if Mahomes was acting like an extra coach, he said: "100 per cent.
"I'm new to the game so I'm trying to pick everyone's brains and try and pick up the sport as quick as possible because I want to be out there playing.
"The way I can do that is picking the brains of everyone that's currently here and trying to learn the game as quickly as possible."
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has been impressed by Rees-Zammit's attitude, saying: "He's so diligent with everything and wants to be so good at everything. I appreciate that.
"I like the fact he's got shorter steps initially, that's a good thing as a running back. If you're a long strider in there you've got to really work on making it through those tight adjustments you have to make. He seems to have a nice feel."
Beckham Jr. signs one-year deal with Miami Dolphins
Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins as the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver prepares for a spell with a fifth different NFL side.
Beckham will bolster an impressive Miami offense as he unites with fellow receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
That move will be welcomed by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after Beckham signed a contract worth up to $8.25million, according to widespread reports.
Since enjoying four years at the New York Giants, Beckham has fleeted between three rosters – the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens – in as many years but appeared in just 28 games.
His arrival will add further fuel to Miami's NFL charge, having threatened Super Bowl potential before an injury-hit Dolphins were eliminated last season by the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
Beckham is no stranger to disappointment against the Chiefs, however, after playing a part in the Ravens team that went 13-4 before losing to Kansas City last year.
The 31-year-old, who was impacted by an ankle injury in 2023, produced 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns last campaign before being released by the Ravens earlier this offseason.
Miami will hope Beckham can find his previous consistency, too, after struggling and posting eight games with two or fewer catches in the regular season for Baltimore.
Managing just four grabs for 34 yards combined in the Ravens' two postseason games, Beckham – a Super Bowl champion in 2021 with the Rams – may wish for better fortunes with the Dolphins.
Whether Beckham can rediscover his old form or not, the veteran wideout is en route to Miami as the latest addition to Mike McDaniel's fearsome Dolphins attack.
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